Youngsters gain experience at SA championship

The Namibian swimming contingent participated in the South African National Open Water Swimming championships 2025, held at Jeffreys Bay from Friday to Sunday.While the competition proved to be a tough challenge for the upcoming talents with limited exposure to open water swimming competitions, Namibia managed to secure two bronze medals, highlighting the potential of its young athletes.Men’s eventsIn the 1500 metres 15-16 years category, Lorenzo Esterhuizen clocked a time of 19:00.52, securing 15th place, while Johannes Langford finished 31st in 20:09.39. In the 17-18 years category over this distance, Tristan Nell completed the event in 19:04.12, earning 16th place.Moving to the longer distances, Langford also competed in the 3000 metres (15-16 years), finishing 57th in 42:57.21. In the 5 kilometre race (14-16 years), Esterhuizen placed 7th with a time of 1:05:02.78. Meanwhile, Nell finished 4th in the 5000m Freestyle (17-18 years), clocking 1:04:30.00.The 3000m race (12 and older) saw Namibia’s young talents in action. Esterhuizen placed 14th in 18:28.96, followed by Nell in 16th place with 18:33.13. Langford rounded off the Namibian efforts in this event, finishing 24th in 19:29.24.Women’s eventsIn the 1500 m (13 and older), Madison Bergh finished 13th in 19:37.77, with Carissa Steyn coming 22nd in 20:20.51 and Lara Steyn placing 25th with a time of 20:59.80.The 3000 metres (13 and older) saw Lara Steyn clock 43:13.34, securing 29th place. Bergh showed her endurance in the 5000m Freestyle (14-16 years), winning bronze with a time of 1:06:56.26, Namibia’s only individual medal at the event. Carissa Steyn placed 7th in the 5000m (17-18 years), completing the race in 1:13:34.61.In the 3000m (12 and older), Bergh took 8th place in 6:05.81, with Steyn finishing 12th in 20:05.74. Bergh also placed 14th with 20:27.93, while Lara Steyn finished 21st in 22:00.66.Mixed relay bronze medalNamibia’s best result came in the 6 kilometre mixed relay open category, where the team of Tristan Nell (17), Carissa Steyn (18), Madison Bergh (16) and Lorenzo Esterhuizen (16) secured a bronze medal, finishing in 1:19:12.07.Valuable experienceWhile the overall results were modest, the competition provided valuable international exposure for the Namibian swimmers. With continued training and experience, they will be aiming for stronger performances in future regional and international events.

Youngsters gain experience at SA championship

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-17

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Youngsters gain experience at SA championship

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-17

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